Body supporting frame structure

ABSTRACT

A body supporting frame structure in which parallel crossgirders having longitudinal apertures along the edges thereof are secured between two opposite longitudinal girders wherein at least the apertures at the edges of the cross-girders are provided with a wire or bar disposed in the longitudinal apertures and convexly bent in the longitudinal direction of the cross-girders.

Ulte States atent 1 1 1 1 3,842,452 Kievits Oct. 22, 1974 BODY SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE 2,476,820 7/1949 Flint 1. 267/83 7, 3 l9 [75] Inventor: Anton Arnoldus K evits, Brussel, 332 22: 3 2;

Belglum 3,480,323 11/1969 Propus 160/371 x [73] Assignee: S. A. Bekaert, Zwevegem, Belgium I Przmary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam [22] Flled: 1973 Assistant Examiner-Andrew M. Calvert 2 1 App]. 391 495 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward J. Brenner 52 U5. (:1 5/237, 5/191, 267/81 [57] ABSTRACT [51 int. c1. A47C 23/06, A470 19/00 A body Suppomng frame Structure In whlch Parallel [58] Field 61" Search 5/344, 191,236, 237; Cross-girders having longitudinal apertures along the 297/196, 7 215 236 237, edges thereof are secured between two opposite longi- 267/81, 160/1316 5 5 328, 3 7 371 tudinal girders wherein at least the apertures at the edges of the cross-girders are provided with a wire or [56] References Cited bar disposed in the longitudinal apertures and con- UNITED STATES PATENTS vexly bent in the longitudinal direction of the crossl4(),284 6/1973 Leach 5/236 X girders 1,052,706 2/1913 Zingg 5/237 x 7 (Ilmms, 3 Drawing gures i BODY SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE The invention relates to a body supporting frame structure, in which parallel cross-girders are secured the resilience of the body supporting frame structure.

Therefore, the invention proposes that the wires or bars of each cross-girder be convexly bent in the longitudinal direction of said cross-girder.

To further increase the resilience of the body supporting frame structure it is desirable that the wires or bars are loosely inserted in the associated cross-girder. However, to keep the convexly bent wires or bars in the cross-girders from deflecting during usage of the frame, and consequently to increase the frames comfort, it is necessary that said wires or bars of each cross-girder are rigidly joined in the cross-direction of said girder at least in one place. The convexly bent wires in the crossgirder may very well deflect and adapt a concave shape under a considerable load on such a cross-girder. This is particularly the case when the free bar or wire ends are not tightly connected to the longitudinal girders.

An important advantage hereby is that said crossgirders can easily be manufactured by means of known extrusion machines, provided that the cross-girders are made of plastics.

in a preferred embodiment of the body supporting frame structure according to the invention the wires or bars are substantially rigidly joined in the middle by means of a substantially flat connecting member whose width substantially corresponds to the cross-girders width, and each cross-girder consists of two substantially identical parts which slide over the wires at both sides of the connecting member.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. l is a perspective view of the body supporting frame structure according to the invention FIG. 2 is a view of a detail of a special embodiment of a cross-girder, and a FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III- III of FIG. 2.

The framework of the two-part lying furniture frame according to FIG. I consists of longitudinal girders l and cross-girders 2. The lying furniture frame may also consist of more than two, say three parts, for example a foot-end rotatable about a horizontal axis, a horizontal central part and a head rotatable about a horizontal axis.

Regularly spaced parallel cross-girders 3 are provided between the longitudinal girders I. Said crossgirders 3 are preferably made of plastics and at least the edges of said cross-girders are provided with a through lengthwise aperture. The diameter of said aperture is for example 8 to 9 mm. FIG. 2 clearly illustrates that the central part of each cross-girder 3 contains three through lengthwise apertures their diameters being smaller than the diameters of the apertures at the edges. similar cross-girders 3 can easily be manufaccontain a continous wire or bar 4.. The wires or bars 4 are convexly bent in the longitudinal direction and give the cross-girder 3 a convex shape, thereby considerably increasing the frames resilience. These wires 4 will preferably be spring wire, i.e., wire with favorable elastic properties, and they will preferably have a 6 to 7 mm diameter. In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the Figures, the free ends 5 of the convexly bent wires 4form a tenon for a tenon and mortise joint, for example by means of resilient supports 6, which are mounted on the longitudinal girders I.

In order to prevent deflexion of the convexly bent wires 4 in each cross-girder 3 under the load of the body supporting frame structure the wires 4 of each cross-girder 3 are tightly joined substantially in the middle by means of a substantially flat connecting member 7 (see FIG. 2). The width of the connecting member 7 equals the width of each cross-girder, and each cross-girder 3 consists of two substantially identical parts or halves which are slid over the wires 4 up to the central part 7.

Finally FIG. 3 clearly illustrates an embodiment of such a connecting member 7. This connecting member 7 contains through lengthwise apertures 8 and 9 for seizing the wires 4, for example by means of bolts and nuts which are mounted in the apertures 10.

What we claim is:

l. A body supporting furniture frame structure comprising two opposite longitudinal girders, a plurality of parallel cross-girders secured between said longitudinal girders, the longitudinal edges of each of said crossgirders being provided with a lengthwise aperture, and a wire or bar disposed through each of said lengthwise apertures, said wire or bar being convexly bent in the longitudinal direction of said cross-girders, said cross girders being constructed of flexible plastic material.

2. A structure according to claim I wherein each of said wires or bars is adapted to be loosely inserted into a lengthwise aperture of its associated cross-girder.

3. A structure according to claim 1 including a plurality of connecting members each. of which is adapted to tightly connect together one of said cross-girders and its associated wires or bars in the cross direction at least in one place.

4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein said cross girders and their associated wires or bars are connected together by said connecting members at approximately the middle of each cross-girder.

5. A structure according to claim 3 wherein each of said connecting members is substantially flat and has a width which is substantially equal to the width of its as sociated cross-girder.

6. A structure according to claim ll wherein said cross-girders are constructed of extruded plastic.

7. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross-girders include at least one lengthwise aperture in addition to and intermediate the two apertures dis- UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 1 3,842,452

DATED 3 October 22, 1974 lN\/ ENTOR(S) ANTON ARNOLDUS KIEVITS ignee: s A. BEKAERT It rs certrfred that error appears In the ab0ve-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the front page of the patent, insert the following:

[32] Priority September ll, 1972 [33] Belgium Signed and Scaled this thirtieth Day of December 1975 [SEAL] Atlest:

RUTH C. MASON C. "Amul- DAN" Arresting Officer Commission" a! hunt: and Trademarks 

1. A body supporting furniture frame structure comprising two opposite longitudinal girders, a plurality of parallel crossgirders secured between said longitudinal girders, the longitudinal edges of each of said cross-girders being provided with a lengthwise aperture, and a wire or bar disposed through each of said lengthwise apertures, said wire or bar being convexly bent in the longitudinal direction of said crossgirders, said cross girders being constructed of flexible plastic material.
 2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein each of said wires or bars is adapted to be loosely inserted into a lengthwise aperture of its associated cross-girder.
 3. A structure according to claim 1 including a plurality of connecting members each of which is adapted to tightly connect together one of said cross-girders and its associated wires or bars in the cross direction at least in one place.
 4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein said cross girders and their associated wires or bars are connected together by said connecting members at approximately the middle of each cross-girder.
 5. A structure according to claim 3 wherein each of said connecting members is substantially flat and has a width which is substantially equal to the width of its associated cross-girder.
 6. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross-girders are constructed of extruded plastic.
 7. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said cross-girders include at least one lengthwise aperture in addition to and intermediate the two apertures disposed at the edges thereof. 